How to Date a Girl- With Four Brothers! (The ME Chronicles)
by Erizabesu Miharu
Summary: Life goes on for the turtles, Splinter, Casey and April, even with Emma gone. But Casey has other things to keep his mind preoccupied. Like, the proper way to ask April an important question... Read, Review, and Reply! April/Casey
1. Chapter 1

**I imagine things are getting a little confusing (or enthralling), but so we're clear, I write my TMNT boys in the 2k16 verse, based around my OC, Emma Dewitter. This is the 7th story in this series, which I'm dubbing the M/E Chronicles (Mikey/Emma). And trust me, there's even more to come. But for now...**

 **November, 2015**

Thanksgiving was a week away and still no snow. It was making Casey antsy. This was prime hockey time and the flurries and snow drifts brought him a solace of sorts. And he'd really been counting on it this year. So naturally, the gray clouds were holding out on their white magic.

Casey's anxiousness soon became anger… where was a weatherman to beat up when you need one? He texted Raph in his last hour of work at the garage, begging for there to be a patrol tonight. The guys, like law enforcement, made themselves busy as the holidays drew near, but their load had been pretty light. The Shredder was in Japan until the first of February, leaving them only with Purple Dragons and petty thieves to straighten out. Leo had them all making sure that the Purple Dragons didn't try to get an upper hand on the city in Shredder's absence.

Something told Casey though that the leader of the Purple Dragons wasn't that dumb. Hun had been back on top for a while; most of his dealings were with the mobs nowadays. If anything, he might try to team up with them to overthrow the Foot… that's what Casey would do.

 _And you wonder why April gives you those looks sometimes._ Casey shook his head, scooting himself under the rear axel of the blue four-door he needed to get done before closing. Five minutes of work went by before his cell phone pinged. _PDs been giving a neighborhood the shakedown. Sending them a message 2nite. U in?_

It wasn't even a question.

 **}{}{}{}{}{}{**

"Coming your way, Mike!" Casey swung his hockey stick at the nunchuck that Mikey had been separated from. Sure, it wasn't a puck, but it got there and Mikey was able to gain the upper hand against the two Purple Dragon punks who were trying to corner him. Casey clotheslined one of the neighboring Dragons, a smirk on his face… boy, he wished there was a way to watch these suckers suffer in slow-motion. Like the replay button on the sports screen.

"Alright." Leo swung his sword back up into its sheath. "That's all of 'em. Donnie, you called the police."

"Done and done."

"Then let's jet." Leo commanded and the troupe headed for the high road out of the alley.

"Yo, Case!" Mikey yelled out as Raph hoisted Casey up the first length of the fire escape. "Your cell!"

"So grab it already." Casey called back. He braced for the chilly wind that was always whipping through the tops of the city. He and Raph immediately took to racing; they'd started out with just one block, but had since graduated to five. It'd probably just keep going up until they were too old to challenge each other. Casey would admit that he was a few races behind, but he had a good feeling about tonight. Bag secure to his back, he pumped his arms and legs across the roof. "On your six, Leo!"

"Don't you dare help-" Raph warned.

The warning came too late as Leo dropped to a knee and let Casey leap off of his shell and soar out through the suspended air between the two buildings. They were in the middle of a maze of apartment complexes so they were all at the same height… this made it easy, Casey spotting the finish line in no time. To polish off his run, he skidded to the edge on his knees; a perfect goalie slide in the hockey rink.

"Goongala!" Casey finally cried out to the black night sky, tinted orange with city lights. He looked back at Raph catching up on the last three feet. "In your face, Raphael. You're ugly green one, that is."

"You ever heard the phrase, 'if you win say nothing; if you lose say less'." Leo joined them, though he didn't hide his smile. He and Donnie slapped high-fives with Casey, earning them all glares from Raph. "Lucky break. You broke the rules anyway, getting help from Leo."

"We never set any rules-"

"Sure we did!" Raph insisted.

"I never touched my bat or hockey stick."

"Guys," Donnie intermediated like always, stepping in between them. "Can we at least argue this over a pie? There's a _Donatos_ just down-"

"Hey," Mikey suddenly interrupted. "Casey."

"Yeah?" Casey welcomed the distraction from Raph, the sore loser.

"Who's Angel?"

Casey blinked, realizing Mikey was staring at his phone. He grabbed it. "What? Mikey, what're you-"

"Who's Angel?" Mikey repeated, voice a little harder. "And why's she calling you 'sugar'?"

Casey saw the text then and felt his face blanch. "Um… oh."

Raph, Leo, and Donnie were looking over his shoulders in the next nanosecond, before he had a chance to hide the screen.

"Evening sugar, got what you need." Leo read the text from four minutes ago.

"Casey sugar, you gonna answer me or not?" Donnie recited the one that'd popped up two minutes later. "I can't wait forever."

 _Oh boy._ Casey's brain gridlocked, unable to think or comprehend a next move.

Raph took the phone to read the text that'd just come in. "Sugar, come on over already. You know where to find me."

Casey drew a breath, letting the cold air shock him back into action. He faced the turtles, noting their furrowed brows. "Ok, so I realize how that sounds…"

"Sounds?" Mikey echoed with a nod to the phone. "Casey, they're texts, not voicemails."

Raph shoved him back with a hand to the head. "There's an explanation for this Case, right? Cuse, if there's not…"

Oh, they didn't need to paint him a picture. He remembered the little 'talking to' they'd given him that first night at the farmhouse. Course, they knew him better then that… but then, they'd met April before him. And she was like the sister they'd never otherwise have…

"First off, April _knows_ Angel." Casey took back his cell. "I've mentioned her too. The kid I'm trying to keep out of the Purple Dragons."

"Oh, yeah," Raph nodded, only to frown deeper. "Wait, isn't she, like, twelve?"

"She's sixteen." Casey rolled his eyes, looking back over the texts. "And what's more, these aren't from her. They're… ugh, from her grandma."

All four of their green jaws dropped.

"Whoa," Mikey whispered in horror. "You're rendezvousing with a 90-year-old."

"NO!" Casey put his face in his hand. This was a mess; if he clutched his phone any tighter he was going to break it. Should he just tell them? "Well, yeah, kind of-"

"How do you know that word, Mikey?" Leo glanced over him.

"Oh, it's what Emma and I used to do."

 _Oh, maybe not._ Casey peeked up in hope. Any mention of Emma always got the guys to shut up for a while. In the weeks after that fiery kid had left for North Carolina, Casey asked April regularly if she'd called and talked to her. The answer had been no, until Casey had stopped asking altogether.

"Can we focus here, please." Donnie pointed at Casey. " _Why_ is Angel's grandma- or anybody's grandma- sending you love texts?"

Ok, that was it! Casey drew out the first thing he could grab from his bag. "There're NOT love texts! For your information, she calls everybody sugar! And for more information, she's helping me pick out A RING!"

"A ring?" Raph repeated. "What for?"

Stupid turtle!

"A RING TO ASK APRIL TO MARRY ME WITH!"

Casey's announcement went out like a shockwave, sonic-booming into all directions of the night. All the turtles' jaws went entirely slack, eyes going wide beneath their bandanas. Casey sighed out his frustration, lowering his- cricket bat? He didn't remember adding that in tonight. It was too heavy when he went roof-side.

"I was gonna tell you guys," Casey spoke through his teeth, frustration warming into embarrassment. "Kinda ask for your blessing; April's dad's gone so… but I wanted to get a ring first. And with my mom retired in Georgia, Angel's grandma was… well, she was the only one available-"

"Dude…" Mikey finally spoke and this brought the others out of their daze. Then Raph shot forward, pounding Casey's shoulder practically off. "No freakin' way, man! Are you serious, you bonehead!?"

Casey forced his shoulder not to wither in pain. "About as serious as your vote of confidence, _pal_."

"Well," Donnie leaned an elbow on Leo's shoulder, so they both could better grin at him. "It's about time! You gave her that plastic trinket 198 days ago."

"Hey, it wasn't a-"

"You had us worried." Leo nodded, smirking now. "Any longer of a wait and we were going to have to apply some pressure on you."

"Yeah," Raph's fist rammed his shoulder again. "What were you waiting for, Case?"

"And where're you planning on asking her?" Mikey crowded a few feet closer, his breath coming quickly, more excited. "I've always imagined taking her out to this cool pizza joint-"

Raph, Don, and Leo shoved him back, eyeing Casey expectantly.

"You need to do it someplace outside." Donnie was the first to insist. "April's favorite time of day is late afternoon, right as the sun starts to set."

"Don't go for this big build-up evening." Leo added. "She likes people to get to the point. Plus, you're a terrible secret keeper, so she'll see right through it anyway."

 _Gee, thanks._ Casey cocked his brow at Leo.

"But if he takes the effort to shower and trim his hair and stuff, then she'll know something's up." Raph looked Casey up and down in his sweats and jean jacket with ripped elbows. Casey backed up. "Who said anything about trimming my hair!?"

"I'll do it!" Donnie's hand shot up. "His uneven ends have bugged me for so long-"

"Wait a minute…" Casey looked from one brother to another, convinced they'd all lost it. Where was a Foot Clan attack when you needed one?

"You should hide the ring," Mikey poked in between Raph and Leo. "Like, in her drink or something. That's how all the suave people do it."

"Seriously," Leo looked Mikey over. "How do you know all these words?"

"You can't put it in her drink, Mikey." Raph said, thwacking him on the forehead. "What if she swallows it?"

"And how's Casey supposed to get on one knee without the ring in his hand?" Donnie reminded them. "The custom demands it, since it's first demonstration in…"

 _I need to get out of here._ Casey turned on his heel, darting for the fire escape. He texted Angel's grandma to let her know that he was on his way.

"Hold it!" a chorus stopped him, Donnie and Mikey blocking his escape with their super ninja speed. Leaving Leo and Raph to hoard in on both of his sides. Casey looked at all four of them. "Whhhaat!?"

"You were going to ask for our blessing." Donnie reminded him.

"And what exactly makes you think you're worthy of our April?" Mikey added in.

"Ok, really?" Casey glared at him.

"Hey," Mikey shrugged. "You know what they say; the pants don't come off until the honeymoon."

There was stone silence as they all attention gawked at him.

 _"_ _Who_ would say that?!" Raph cried. "Who, in their righteous mind, would ever say that?"

"I was starting to have respect for you, Mikey." Donnie shook his head.

"Guys," Casey clenched his fist to keep from reaching for his bat. "I'm going to go see a lady about a ring. Are you gonna let me use it?"

They all shared looks for a minute… two minutes… ok, now they were just torturing him!

"Of course we will!" Mikey threw himself onto Casey in one of his famous bear hugs. "Congratulations, dude! But, I gotta ask…" He pulled back. "Am I gonna get to kiss the bride? Cuse I've been having this reoccurring dream…"

Casey broke his way out with a straight shot to Mikey's nose. He leapt over the edge, got his bearings and all but ran down the fire escape.

"Bro, you so deserved that." Casey caught Raph saying


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, here they were. Four'o'clock. In the afternoon. Just outside the roller rink… hey, it wasn't hockey, but Casey would take what he could get. He wasn't going to have the courage to get through this otherwise. His hair was combed, he'd shaved- a compromise with Donnie- and he'd bought a new button-down shirt for the evening. April just couldn't see it under his usual leather jacket.

"Casey," April's hand squeezed his, drawing his attention to her. She was wearing a burgundy scarf to poke out over the trim of her tan coat, with fingerless gloves to show off her matching red nails. She was crisp-looking, walking with her usual confidence and sophistication.

 _I can't do this!_ Casey's inner persona was banging his head against a wall in total freak-out mode. _She's not gonna say yes! Why would she? Has she seen me lately?!_

"What're you thinking?" April eyed him, that curious grin on her face. "Normally by now you'd have made some caveman remark about the cold weather, wrapping your arm around my shoulders through some painfully obvious maneuver."

"I had a lot on my plate at work today." Casey lied. "Stuff that you tell yourself to leave at the office, but… you can't."

"You're a mechanic." April slid under his arm, joining their right hands over her shoulder.

"That's just it." Casey said, slowing their steps. "I'm… April, I might never be anymore then I am right now. Fixing cars, plumbing, cooling and heating… it's what works for me."

"Of course it does." April laughed, giving another squeeze. Did she know how much he loved it when she did that? "I'll admit that I didn't see it at first, but it suites you. And it's important to you because you make it important to yourself. You can't ask for much more out of an employee."

"Yeah," Casey stopped her, so she'd tilt her head to look up at him. "But not everybody's as understanding as you. The way some of your friends and colleagues look at me when I mention my work-"

"Casey Jones." April turned to face him head-on. "I'm gonna take a page out of your book, so listen carefully; screw 'em!"

Casey's eyebrows lifted, then he found himself grinning. "You even make crude look cute, O'Neil."

April grinned back. "Where's this even coming from? You don't care what other people think."

"But you do." Casey shook his head at her. "You… don't settle. You keep pushing and brick walls couldn't stop you from proving others wrong. And if it were anyone else… well, we wouldn't be having this conversation because… I don't love anyone else."

April opened her mouth, when something distracted her.

Actually, it was several some things. Casey watched her eyes follow the first few trails of the small, wet and white snowflakes, floating down to touch her cheeks and hair. They kept coming until there was a steady fall all around them. Casey heard more then saw the passersby who were stopping to stare. It was justifiable… since the snow was only falling around him and April. Thanks to Donnie's perfect trajectory and his homemade Snow-Blast 4000, the guys had created, in Casey's mind, the ideal atmosphere.

Casey attempted to breathe over his pounding heart as he dropped to a knee. "I'm positive of two things right now, April O'Neil. That I love you, and that, I'm not… I'm not gonna be able to give you the beautiful and expensive life that I can't help thinking you deserve. You're so hardworking, over-committed even. You're also truthful and caring and a girl who I know won't take others crap- including mine."

He laughed over that last bit; mainly because his hand was stuck in the pocket with the ring!

"However this goes, I'm not going to blame or hate you," Casey yanked harder on his hand. It still wouldn't come out! "I just… OH WHAT THE FREAKIN' HECK!?"

His hand finally released from his jeans and Casey glared a few seconds at the oh-so-innocent black box. He looked back up at April, who had backed up a step. He felt dread clutching at his windpipe, but he was going to see this through. "I don't wanna say that I didn't fight for you, April. So, will you marry me?"

Casey felt like he had gutted his whole heart on the sidewalk between them. His speech had certainly felt sloppy enough. He had meant to talk about her, not him and his low life ambitions. Wait… oh crap, he was holding the box out to her _unopened!_ Casey watched April's face examine the box, then find his eyes. Her slim, shiny irises looked disappointed through the snowflakes.

"Are you going to open it or not, Jones?" she spoke finally. "I don't want this memory to be of me putting my own engagement ring on."

Casey sucked in a breath that about cracked his lungs with cold air. "You- you sure?"

"Yes." April stated; then her cheeks flushed in a giddy smile. "Yes, you crazy jerk!"

Casey couldn't get the box open fast enough. He got up, found April's left hand, removed the glove, and then the plastic ring with the purple star. April gasped at the glistening round diamond attached to the silver band Casey slipped on in its place. "That better not be plastic."

"You think our friends would've let me do this if it was." Casey muttered, remembering there were still other people around. He heard the rapid snapping of camera phones going off. But he ignored them all, bending down and kissing April with newfound elation. Her arms wrapped around his neck instantly, her lips drawing him closer.

 **}{}{}{}{**

"YYYeeeaahh!" Raph, Mikey, Donnie, and Leo cheered, hopping up and down atop the roller rink, where they'd been monitoring the Snow-Blast 4000.

"Whoohooo!" Raph hollered through his hands. "Way to go, Casey!"

The couple's passionate lip-lock fell apart, April giggling into Casey's chest. Casey threw a thumbs up into the air, as though to encourage the crowd of gawkers that all was good. However, if they hadn't been there, he might've given them another gesture. But maybe he was too happy to care.

"That was insane." Donnie held his head in both hands, grinning ear to geek ear.

"So much better then the Bachelor." Mikey nudged at Raph. "Right Raph?"

"Like I watch that melo-dramatic crap." Raph pushed him back.

"Then what exactly were you sniffling over last night?"

"Guys!" Leo stopped Raph from pushing Mikey into Donnie's rumbling machine. They all looked at him. Leo pointed down to where Casey and April stood, sticking inside their circle of early winter. "Can we just savor this? For their sake?"

Raph gave Mikey a foreboding look, but called a truce. The brothers just stood there, shoulder to shoulder, close enough to smile on the new turn their lives had taken.

 **}{}{}{}{}{**

The high over Casey and April's engagement was still running between the brothers two days later. For all of them, the world felt lighter, happier... down right illuminated! Leo hadn't felt so light-footed during a training run in months! Usually the snow and winter winds slowed his time down, but not tonight. And since he was racing against Raph to the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge from Times Square, Leo could use the high spirits.

 _I'm cutting over the McCowsky alleyway._ Leo decided, pushing himself off of the high-rise in a perfect dive. _It'll save me three blocks, easy._

He let the November winds beat his face as he ran, calculating each step more precise then Donnie as he tore over the city. His brothers thought that he thought too much when it came to training. Really though, it was the only time when he mind was the clearest, his thoughts the fewest. It was an escape from all the thinking he had to do the rest of the time.

The presence came up on his clear mind and Leo skidded, turning and swiping his sword out. It spliced the air behind him, where only she had stood a second ago.

"Karai." Leo got out before her own sword clanged into his own. He noted her razor-red highlights first, the only splash of color amid her black pants, shirt, and coat... and beanie.

 _I would never have pictured her something so casual._ Leo backed up with a block, only to throw forward with a thrust and put at least five feet between them.

"You're easily excitable, Leonardo." she lowered her sword slightly, eyes narrowed, but her stance soft. "Maybe I've just sought you out to talk."

"Sought me out?" Leo almost laughed. "Atop of New York City, in the middle of winter? Seems a little impatient for you."

"I serve an impatient master."

"But your master didn't send you." Leo flicked his eyes to the side, but kept his wits centered on her. "If he had, you wouldn't be alone."

Karai then struck a pose that Leo never thought he'd see. She slung her katana over her shoulders in a rather relaxed posture. Her eyes glinted up and down. "Sometimes, I work better alone."

Why was his eyes lingering back on her. "What are you working on? I assume you want to tell me."

"You'd never assume." Karai's lips lifted on the left corner. "I'll keep it brief. When my master comes for you- and he will come- things will explode. He'll make sure that everything around you explodes and washes away in your blood."

Leo fingered his second katana, hardened his gaze again. "Whenever he's ready, we'll meet him."

Karai shook her head. "He won't start with you. He'll start with O'Neil and that grease monkey she's engaged to."

Leo breached the space between them, had her by the neck, and drove her up against the chimney stack. The point of his katana touched her below the Adam's apple... right as he felt the tip of her o tanto push into his side. But it didn't press in and break the flesh. Why?

"What'd you want Karai?" Leo ignored the o tanto a moment, drilling his eyes into hers. What was he looking for, exactly? "If you're looking for a fight, you tell Shredder to bring it to me and my brothers."

"That's my point." Karai stretched her neck under his hand. "Master Shredder won't; he will tear down everything that your family cares about. And save you for last, so he can watch you grieve."

Leo watched her expression, as closed off as ever, before he eased off her neck. Was there... hope... for her? He had always thought that maybe... "And I'm supposed to believe that somehow you care."

Karai loosened her neck and shoulders as he released her. "We're in a war, Leonardo, form the first fight you held against our soldiers. Some of these soldiers prefer to keep that war within our two parties. No outsiders... no unnecessary bloodshed."

Leo eyed her, then her katana. Neither of them broke contact as they sheathed their weapons and Leo tried to think of a response to this. "Are you one of those soldiers, Karai?"

"I'm the one trying to hold the Foot Clan to the respect and glory that it deserves." Karai answered him.

 _Well, that clears things up._ Leo shook his head. "April and Casey are going to stick by us, no matter what. But, I appreciate you coming to warn me."

That didn't seem to be the answer Karai had wanted. Her features sharpened and she pushed past him with a brash thrust of her shoulder. "Remember that I warned you. It's the only one you're going to get."

 _Was it?_ Leo watched her walking for the edge of the roof; there was a heaviness, a reluctance... what was she walking back into?

"Karai."

She stopped, but she didn't turn around. Uh, what was he supposed to say?

"If you..." Leo started, then sighed. "This is going to happen, us and Shredder. But if you ever need to switch sides..."

She broke into a run then, opposite of the Brooklyn Bridge. Leo watch her retreat until the shadows swallowed her; not hard with all the black that she wore. But, if she really liked it, why the highlights then? And why go to the trouble of warning him, now that Casey and April were engaged? Did that mean something to her?

 _Like she's ever been engaged._ Leo found himself smirking. He could just hear Raph saying- oh man, Raph! Leo bolted back on his track toward the Brooklyn Bridge, knowing it was already too late to beat his brother to the rendezvous. What excuse could he come up with before he got there?

 **THE END**

 **Yeah, it kinda leaves things up in the air, but... that's what the next story's for! ;)**


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